Ancient Greek Civilization Educational Classroom Posters
for the social studies and history classrooms.

“Excepting machinery, there is hardly anything secular in our culture that does not come from Greece,” and conversely “there is nothing in Greek civilization that doesn't illuminate our own.”
~ Will Durant

Ancient Greece Timeline Poster -
The British Museum

Images and text about Games, Language and Literature, and Mythology through the Bronze Age, Geometric, Orientalizing, Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic Periods.

• Greece & Greek Culture posters
• Great Britain posters

Athenian Democracy was developed in the Greek city-state of Athens, and the surrounding territory of Attica, around 500 BC.

Athenian Democracy was known as a DIRECT democracy; legislation and executive bills were voted on by the people themselves rather than through an elected representative.

Not everyone was granted the right to vote, but those who did were made up of a diverse socioeconomic group. Citizens empowered with the right to vote, participated vvigorously in the process.

Voter were informed and influenced by political satire performed by comic poets in theaters throughout Athens.

Solon (594 BC), Cleisthenes (508/7 BC), and Ephialtes (462 BC) all contributed to the development of Athenian democracy.

Athenian democracy continued until the end of the Peloponnesian Wars when it gave way briefly in the the wake of an Oligarchic revolution. It was revived and reigned until ended by the Macedonians in 362 BC.

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• “Democracy, which is a charming form of government, full of variety and disorder, and dispensing a sort of equality to equals and unequals alike.” ~ Plato

Greek City-States

There was not one country called “Ancient Greece.” Instead, there were small ‘city-states’. A city-state was an independently ruled city with its own laws, customs, money, and army. A Greek citizen's loyalty was directed to his city-state. These city-states often made alliances with other cities, forming into leagues, confederations, or federations while maintaining an independent identity.

The city-states of Athens and Sparta were the titans of their age. They represented two very different viewpoints and presented to the world very different strengths and weaknesses. In fact, the perfect state might very well be a perfect blend of Athens and Sparta.

Aristotle's Six Forms of Government

MONARCHY: Rule by one
ARISTOCRACY: Rule by the best
DEMOCRACY: People power
TYRANNY: Usurping ruler
OLIGARCHY: Rule by the few
OCHIOCRACY: Mob power

Astragali are the knuckle bones of animals and were the precursors to the die / dice games of chance.

What Did the Ancient Greeks Eat?

The meals prepared by the Ancient Greeks were simple, reflecting the difficult growing conditions of the region. Ancient Greek staples were based on the “Mediterranean triad”: wheat, olive oil, and wine.

• food posters
• literature posters

Sisyphean Task /Sisyphean Challenge

In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was condemned to roll a huge rock up a steep hill. But before he could reach the top of the hill, the rock would always roll back own forcing him to begin again. The maddening nature of the punishment was reserved for Sisyphus due to his conceit in believing his cleverness surpassed that of Zeus.

• motivational posters
• literature posters

Illustrated wall chart showing the legends, descent and relationships of the gods and heroes of Greek mythology.

The ancient Greek poet Homer is said to be the author of the epics the Iliad and the Odyssey, however, current scholarship no longer views “Homer” as a historic individual but rather as a personfication that evolved over generations to hold the oral traditions and the collective works of many poets.

The historic city of Troy, both factual and legendary, is located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey between the Dardanelles and Mount Ida.

Troy, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is best remembered for being the focus of the Trojan War described in the Iliad and the Odyssey, as well as the Roman poet Virgil's poem the Aeneid.

• The Iliad and Odyssey [BOX SET]
• Odysses poster
• authors posters
• horses posters